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Old 10-08-2002, 03:47 PM   #1
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Post Humanism

I was talking with a Christian friend the other day, and he asked me why I thought humans had intrinsic value, and why humanism was a good philosophy. Does anyone have a good answer? I couldn't think of anything, except the social contract theory of justice, which he was not too impressed with. I am just curious to her some opinions.
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Old 10-08-2002, 08:22 PM   #2
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*shrugs* Asking why humans have intrinsic value is like asking why pumpkin pies taste good: to me, they just do. It is a brute fact that I value the lives of other human beings, though a deeper explanation could be found in biology, evolutionary theory, and culture.
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Old 10-09-2002, 06:52 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally posted by eowynn:
<strong>I was talking with a Christian friend the other day, and he asked me why I thought humans had intrinsic value, and why humanism was a good philosophy. Does anyone have a good answer? I couldn't think of anything, except the social contract theory of justice, which he was not too impressed with. I am just curious to her some opinions.</strong>
Ask him why flowers have intrinsic value even though they live a short time and die.

Apply it to humans.

The question is then answered.

DC
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Old 10-11-2002, 04:32 PM   #4
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Well I certainly value humans, I don't believe this value is intrinsic in the humans. That would imply that the 'value' is in some way a substance or energy that is is part of the makeup of humans, and this 'value' thus radiates form humans, and is perceived by other people.

From my understanding of value, it is a necessarily internal thing. Things don't have value built in(intrinsic), rather we apply value to things.
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